Vikings Rivals Make Another Interesting Move at the Quarterback Position
Josh Frey
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One of the Minnesota Vikings biggest rivals, the Green Bay Packers, have been in the headlines over the past half-decade or so because of their quarterback position.
Much of these headlines had to do with the future of Aaron Rodgers, but now that he’s a New York Jet, the headlines no longer involve the four-time MVP. So, what gives? What are the cheese heads doing that would still give them strange QB headlines?
Well, for starters, the franchise is set to turn the starting job over to the Jordan Love, their 2020 first-round pick who has thrown just 83 passes over his first two NFL seasons. That by itself is a bit concerning in Green Bay, considering the quarter-century of Hall of Fame talent that the Packers have enjoyed at the position prior to this year.
What if Love simply isn’t ready to play? Well, he better be because the other QBs on the Packers roster don’t inspire much confidence either. The Packers drafted Sean Clifford in the fifth-round of the 2023 Draft, and he likely is the backup behind Love heading into this season despite having severe struggles over his career at Penn State as a passer.
Alongside Clifford is Danny Etling, who has never thrown an NFL pass since being drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 Draft by the New England Patriots.
And now, Green Bay has opted to make another interesting move at the position. This week, the Packers signed Alex McGough, who won the USFL MVP award in 2023 with the Birmingham Stallions, and repeated as league champions this spring. During the season, McGough passed for 2105 yards and 20 TDs compared to just five interceptions while completing 67.1% of his passes. He also added 405 rushing yards and five rushing TDs.
Prior to his stint with the Stallions in the USFL, McGough played his college ball at FIU, playing four seasons in the program from 2014-17. Over the course of his career there, he passed for 9091 yards, 65 TDs, and 37 INTs. His passing yardage and TD totals are by far the most in program history.
Following his college years, McGough was drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 Draft by the Seattle Seahawks and has also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he is yet to throw an NFL pass.
While McGough is yet to throw a pass, he still has the most professional experience of any QB on the Packers roster. If Love were to suffer an injury or struggle in the season, he may now be the “next man up” for Green Bay.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.